By the end of the year, a long-planned stretch of highway will make traveling from Johnson County to Bloomington or Evansville much quicker and smoother.
Just south of where State Road 144 used to meet State Road 37, a new extension of Interstate 69 will begin, continuing south to where the interstate currently discontinues in Martinsville.
The work is part of the state’s I-69 Finish Line project, which has a goal of extending Interstate 69 from Martinsville to Indianapolis by the end of 2024. When the $2 billion Indiana Department of Transportation project is complete, local drivers will be able to access Interstate 465 in Indianapolis via I-69.
This month marks the geographical completion of more than half of the project, with 17 of the 26 total miles between Martinsville and Indianapolis set to be wrapped up in the coming weeks. This will mark the end of major road construction in Martinsville that caused drivers to detour between State Road 39 and State Road 44, also known as Morgan Street. The five-mile closure of State Road 37 lasted about a year, according to the project’s website.
It will mark a new temporary transition point between State Road 37 and Interstate 69. A small portion of I-69 just south of State Road 144 will mark the first completed portion of the interstate in Johnson County, though construction of the county’s first interchange at State Road 144 won’t be completed until next fall, said Natalie Garrett, Seymour District spokesperson for the department of transportation.
South of Smith Valley Road, the interstate will have four lanes, two in each direction. From Smith Valley Road to Southport Road, it will have three lanes in each direction. And north of Southport Road, it will have four lanes in each direction.
Work to prepare for interstate construction in the county caused several road closures this year in the Center Grove area. State Road 37’s intersection with Travis Road, Stones Crossing Road, Banta Road and Bluff Acres Road were all closed, with access roads assisting drivers in need of detours.
Most interstate construction in Johnson County will take place next year. Along with the State Road 144 interchange, the County Line Road interchange will be completed by the end of next year. The Smith Valley Road interchange won’t be completed until 2023.
Construction north of State Road 144 is being completed in separate phases, not necessarily south-to-north, Garrett said.
Until the Smith Valley interchange is completed, drivers can use Fairview Road to exit and enter State Road 37, where a stoplight will remain until it becomes part of I-69, she said.
